Austin – “The first thing I saw was a mirage”.
So goes the opening line of the enveloping tune, “Dreamer’s Song”, by the alt-rock quartet, Dinosaur Bones. Accordingly, these were the first words sung by frontman Ben Fox as he and his band mates bathed in the quirky image projections of Austin’s Empire Control Room.
However, the first thing they saw was more like a quaint group of curious, yet easily distracted, listeners.
This is not to say there is anything wrong with this breed of concertgoers. In many cases, these attendees are the only force that holds a band together. Without a crowd to reflect/project on, many artists find themselves unable to create enough energy to sustain the attention of their patrons.
Though this is crippling to many new bands, Dinosaur Bones appear to be immune. After coming all the way from Canada and then performing to a bashful room, you would think it would be difficult, if not impossible to create a compelling live atmosphere. Nevertheless, these humble northerners had no problem reeling listeners in and keeping them interested.
Unlike many other new artists who overcompensate for their obscurity by spewing their voice and sounds in a volatile and excessive manner, Fox effortlessly maneuvers through the path of each song, allowing his dark, unassuming voice to nourish each song rather than drown it. With their new album Shaky Dream, Dinosaur Bones have created a low-pressure mood that is both engaging and lax at the same time.
Intriguing and subtle, each verse succeeds in drawing you in. But its progression does nothing to pacify the uneasiness it initially creates. This uneasiness then somehow becomes elated with the entrance of the chorus. In the song “Sleepsick”, a series of antisocial laments are accompanied by swirls of abrasive guitar riffs. Yet as the chorus approaches, its sudden lyrical and melodic sweetness make you want nothing more than to curl up beside the sad narrator and partake in his stint of loneliness. On the cusp of a harsh or worrisome verse, this kind of climax offers sweeping melodic relief that leaves you in a fuzzy and warm haze of contentment.
Marked by a particularly eerie performance of “Pacifist in Camouflage”, this turning point in the set was a significant demonstration of the band’s maturity. Hypnotic and surreal, it showcased the group’s ability to maintain a balance between each member and instrument. A foggy and disorienting track, “Pacifist” undoubtedly stands as one of Bones’ strongest tracks.
As the night neared an end, the band artfully closed their set with the dreamy “Nothing Left Between the Lines”. In this song, every element is deliberately placed to create a song that focuses on progression rather than impact. In this, it becomes impossible to divert attention, as each phase of the song proves to be more suspenseful than the last.
Reflecting back on the show, it felt like the crowd played no part in whether or not the band would have a good performance that night. Don’t mistake this for ingratitude or entitlement, though. It was just that the band was aware enough of their status as newbies that they prepared a live performance that would be good no matter what. So many acts count on the crowd to feed them energy, but a truly remarkable band is able to captivate in any condition, without relying on the crutch of a sea of eager fans. I’ve seen it many times before. My saying is “a crowd makes the show”, because this is almost always the case.
In my years of concert experiences, very few bands have been able to enrapture me in the face of a small and/or uncooperative crowd. But I can happily say that Dinosaur Bones has become one of those few exceptions.
Black and white thumbnail photo by Jacob Weber
Ruth Griffin
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